Book Blitz of Knowing You by Allie Everhar

Knowing You
(Jade #2)

 by Allie Everhart
Publication date: November 2013
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Synopsis:

Now that Garret’s decided he’s no longer following the rules of his wealthy family, he can finally develop a closer relationship with Jade. Things are going well, but Jade still worries that being with Garret is only temporary. And because of that, she’s not sure how much of herself and her past she’s willing to let him see.

Garret does all he can to assure Jade that the two of them can last, but convincing her of that is difficult when she’s never trusted anyone. So he has to show her, by being there when she needs him the most, even when she tries to keep him away.

The mysterious letter from Jade’s mom still haunts her and now she’s getting threatening phone calls. Someone from Jade’s past will stop at nothing to keep his secrets from getting out. And his number one secret is Jade.

Buy Links for Knowing You 

-Amazon        -Barnes and Noble        -Kobo

 Excerpt

Knowing You (Jade #2)

“I don’t know what I was thinking letting you plan our date," Garret says. "You probably would’ve picked that taco stand for dinner if I let you.”
“Nah. Probably the burger joint by the dry cleaners.”
“That place is just as disgusting. Well, that confirms it. I’ll be planning the dates from here on out.”
“I still haven’t agreed to go out with you again.”
He nudges my foot under the table and smiles. “You will.”
Our food arrives. Just as we start to eat, a mariachi band stops by our table singing some type of love song. It makes me laugh, not just because of the song but because they’re not very good. The main singer is way off key. I try to hide my laughter because the guy is really trying hard. 
Garret sees me struggling. He sets his fork down, then reaches over and holds the hand I’m not eating with and gazes into my eyes. The mariachi guys notice and assume their music has caused Garret’s romantic gesture. The bad singer nods at Garret and gets a huge grin on his face, singing even louder. 
I’m practically in tears trying to keep from laughing. I give Garret a look to cut it out, but he’s enjoying this way too much. He picks my hand up and kisses it. 
Finally, the song ends. Garret takes some money from his wallet and gives it the guy. 
“Muchas gracias,” the singer says. He points to me. “Beautiful girl. You two are a lovely couple.”
“We are, aren’t we?” Garret says, smiling at me, then back at the singer.
“You two get married some day. I sing at your wedding.” He reaches in his pocket and pulls out a business card. 
“Thank you.” Garret takes the card, then looks at me. “Jade, he could sing at our wedding. Wouldn’t that be great?”
I kick his foot under the table. “Um, yeah. Great.” I turn to the singer. “Thanks again. It was very nice music.”
The guy nods and moves on to another table. Garret releases my hand and goes back to eating like the whole scene didn’t even happen.
“Did you have to do that?” I ask him. “You knew I was dying over here. They would’ve left if you hadn’t started that hand holding crap.”
He shrugs. “I didn’t want them to leave. I was enjoying it.”
“They were horrible! That guy was way off key.” I take a bite of my taco.
“He did better than I would do. I didn’t think he was that bad. And you must’ve liked him at least a little. You agreed to let him sing at our wedding.” 
I almost choke when he says it. I take a big gulp of my soda. He continues to eat as if his wedding comment is perfectly normal and expected. “We’re on a first date here, Garret. I think it’s a little early to plan a wedding.”
“I guess. Then maybe he could sing at our graduation party.”
“Four years from now, I don’t think he’ll still be employed as a singer.” 
I hear the guy belting out a new song at a table on the other side of the restaurant. He’s so horrible. Now that they’re gone, I’m finally able to laugh.
Garret shakes his head, but he’s laughing, too. “You’re so mean. At least he’s trying.”
“I’m sorry. I can’t help it. He’s just so bad.”
For the rest of dinner, I keep thinking about Garret’s wedding comment. He couldn’t possibly be even the tiniest bit serious. We’ve only known each other a few months and we technically weren’t even dating during those months.
He was probably just making a joke. But still, hearing Garret even mention the idea of marrying me makes those annoying butterflies that have now taken up permanent residence in my stomach flutter with happiness. Which only makes me wonder what this boy is doing to me. 
I’m Jade, the sarcastic, independent, smart ass who has no interest in marriage or weddings or rings or any of that stuff. 
And yet my stupid heart skips a stupid beat when that stupid boy tosses out the idea that someday he might marry me.

 Choosing You (Book 1)

 by Allie Everhart

When Jade is given a scholarship to an elite private college in Connecticut, she sees it as a chance to finally escape her painful past and get a fresh start. She’s determined to succeed and that means keeping her focus on school and not guys. But her plan falls apart her first day on campus when Garret, a rich prep school boy with swimmer abs and a perfect smile, offers to help her move in.

Jade tries to push him away, but she can’t deny her attraction to him and Garret won’t let her. Things quickly heat up between them, but then come to a sudden halt when reality hits and Jade realizes that a relationship with Garret may never be possible. He comes from a world of wealth where there are rules, including rules about who he can date. And not following those rules has consequences.

As the two of them try to overcome the obstacles working to keep them apart, Jade is confronted with another challenge. On her 19th birthday, she receives a letter that her now deceased mother wrote years ago. In it are revelations that explain her traumatic childhood but also make her question the past she’s been running from.

Buy Links for Choosing You (Book 1)
-Amazon        -Barnes and Noble        -Kobo

  AUTHOR

Allie Everhart writes about dating, love, and romance. She’s also a freelance writer for magazines and websites. Before freelancing, she was a book editor for a publishing company where she worked on several NYT bestselling nonfiction books. She loves to read as much as she loves to write. And when she’s not reading or writing, she’s outside running, which is when she gets her best book ideas.

Goodreads      Twitter

***GIVEAWAY***

Grand prize giveaway

Prize (open internationally):

--$15 gift card for Amazon.com

CLICK ON THE IMAGE OF RAFFLECOPTER

 

Book Blitz and Giveaway: Choosing You by Allie Everhart

Choosing You

by Allie Everhart
(The Jade Series #1)
Publication date: September 23rd, 2013
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Synopsis:

When Jade is given a scholarship to an elite private college in Connecticut, she sees it as a chance to finally escape her painful past and get a fresh start. She’s determined to succeed and that means keeping her focus on school and not guys. But her plan falls apart her first day on campus when Garret, a rich prep school boy with swimmer abs and a perfect smile, offers to help her move in.

Jade tries to push him away, but she can’t deny her attraction to him and Garret won’t let her. Things quickly heat up between them, but then come to a sudden halt when reality hits and Jade realizes that a relationship with Garret may never be possible. He comes from a world of wealth where there are rules, including rules about who he can date. And not following those rules has consequences.

As the two of them try to overcome the obstacles working to keep them apart, Jade is confronted with another challenge. On her 19th birthday, she receives a letter that her now deceased mother wrote years ago. In it are revelations that explain her traumatic childhood but also make her question the past she’s been running from.

Purchase--Amazon

Excerpt Choosing You (Jade #1)

By Allie Everhart

As soon as I start running, I feel the calmness I was craving. I get lost in the repetition of my movement around the oval track and I lose all sense of time. After a while the sun is really hot and I realize that it’s probably way past noon. I take a break and sit at the side of the track, completely soaked in sweat.

“Have a good run?”

I turn to see Garret walking toward me in navy athletic shorts and a gray t-shirt. It looks like he’s been running, too, although he’s not nearly as sweaty as me.

“It was all right,” I say. “I don’t usually run on a track.”

“You should’ve come with me. I ran a couple miles around campus.”

I shake my head, sweat dripping off me like a wet dog. “That’s not far enough. I usually run 8 or 9 miles.”

He sits down next to me. As in right next to me. Can he not see how sweaty I am? I’m sure he can smell me from 10 feet away. I can’t even stand the smell of myself.

“Eight or 9 miles? You must be a serious runner. I’m a swimmer. I only run to improve my cardio for the pool. I do a couple miles at a normal pace and then I do sprints on the track.”

So that’s why he has that body. He’s a swimmer. That explains the broad shoulders and narrow waist V shape he’s got going on.

“Go ahead.” I point to the empty track. “It’s all yours.”

“Why don’t you do them with me?” he asks in a challenging tone. “Let’s race.”

I never turn down a challenge. Well, sometimes I do, but it’s rare. “I’m a distance runner, not a sprinter. But a distance runner can beat a swimmer

any day. This should be easy.” I stand up, stretching my legs which are stiffening up after my short break.

“You think you can beat me, huh?” He stretches as well. “So what’s with the insults? You don’t like swimmers?”

I shrug. “Swimmers are okay. I just don’t think they have to work that hard. I mean, the water makes you basically weightless. It’s easy to go fast when you don’t have to drag your body weight around. You don’t get that benefit with running.”

His jaw basically drops to the ground. I’ve just insulted both him and something that’s near and dear to his heart. Apparently this has never happened to him before. Pretty boy must be used to only getting compliments.

“Are you shitting me? Did you just say swimmers don’t work hard?”

“Yeah, why?” For some reason, I’m really loving insulting this guy.

“Game on, Iowa girl. Get your ass in position.”

He sets himself up in lane one of the track. I take my sweet time walking over to lane two, yawning just for added effect.

“Do you need a head start?” I ask him, stretching my arms behind my back.

“Damn, you’re annoying.” He smiles when he says it. “We do one lap around. Ready? Three, two, one. Go!”

I take off down the lane, my eyes straight ahead pretending he’s not there. I quickly round the first end of the track and hit the straightaway. I imagine myself running far away from that place. Running back home and seeing Frank and Ryan again. I round the next end and keep running.

“Stop! We’re done!” I hear Garret’s voice and slow down, noticing that I’m already halfway through a second time around the track. I finish the loop and meet up with him again. He’s bent over, hands on his knees trying to catch his breath.

“Okay, I admit it. You’re fast,” he says, panting as sweat drips off his face.

“Fast? That was my normal pace.”

He glances up at me, trying to figure out if I’m kidding. Then he stands up straight and wipes the sweat off his forehead. “Remind me never to do that again.” He walks over to the edge of the track and gets his water bottle. “You should sign up for cross country or track. You’re really fast.”

“Nah. I ran cross country in high school. Now I just run when I’m stressed.” It’s true, but I wish I hadn’t said it. It makes me sound weak and I hate sounding weak, especially around a guy.

AUTHOR

Allie Everhart writes about dating, love, and romance.

She’s also a freelance writer for magazines and websites.

Before freelancing, she was a book editor for a publishing company

where she worked on several NYT bestselling nonfiction books.

She loves to read as much as she loves to write.

And when she’s not reading or writing, she’s outside running,

which is when she gets her best book ideas.

GOODREADS         TWITTER

Author Interview

Why did you write Choosing You?

About a year ago I started reading some New Adult books and I liked them so much I couldn’t stop! At the time I wasn’t even considering writing my own New Adult book because I was still writing my Young Adult series, The Samantha Project, (written under a different name). That series has some romance in it and I found that I really liked writing those scenes. I liked all the emotion that came through when the main character was dealing with her conflicted feelings over the two guys in the book. So when I finished that series, just for fun, I wrote an emotion-packed scene in which a girl in college is struggling to deal with issues in her relationship with a guy as well as issues from her past. After writing that scene, I instantly connected with Jade, the main character. The story took off from there and that scene ended up being the opening scene in Choosing You.

What else can you tell us about Choosing You that’s not in the description/blurb?

Jade and Garret take time to get to know each other in this book. There’s no insta-love. In a lot of the books I read, the guy and girl meet and are in love the next day. I didn't want that for these characters. I wanted the relationship to build over time. Jade and Garret are definitely attracted to each other from the very beginning but they’re not in love right away.

They’re friends first and Jade has to learn to trust Garret before she’ll move the relationship forward. This is more like real life, but it also creates tension and anticipation for the reader which is good because it keeps the story moving forward.

Another thing to mention is that I really wanted this book/series to have a strong female as the main character. Jade is tough and resilient. She lived through a difficult childhood and came out ahead. But sometimes her tough exterior is used to hide the emotions that she needs to deal with, and that’s where Garret comes in. He’s the only person who’s able to get her to deal with things and express the emotions she tries so hard to hide.

Why did you decide to include a mystery in the book? Why not just straight romance?

I wanted to make the story run deeper than just the romance. My YA series has lots of twists and turns, suspense, conspiracies, secrets, etc. I like all that stuff. I find it fun to read about. The Jade Series doesn’t have all of that, but it has some of it. There’s a mystery that runs through the whole series that involves both Jade and Garret. And as with my other series, there are some unexpected twists and suspenseful moments.

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